The effect of different spear phishing e-mails on consumer vulnerability moderated by self-efficacy
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2025-07-01
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en
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This thesis investigates whether AI-generated spear phishing e-mails lead to higher consumer vulnerability than human-crafted ones and whether self-efficacy moderates this relationship. Through a between-subjects online experiment participants were exposed to either GenAI or human-generated phishing e-mails and asked to respond as if they were the e-mail recipient. Results showed no significant differences in vulnerability between the two types of messages, nor a significant moderating effect of self-efficacy. However, phishing cue knowledge (PCK) significantly predicted lower vulnerability suggesting that recognizing phishing indicators remains a key protective factor. Although GenAI e-mails appeared more polished, this did not automatically translate to higher deception. These findings contribute to a growing body of literature exploring how emerging technologies and psychological traits shape cyber risk, and highlight the need to focus training efforts on practical cue recognition rather than just confidence-building
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen